Nov 8
Nicole Scherzinger's Love for Russell Brand's MAGA-esque Hat Draws Gay Twitter's Ire
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Former "Pussycat Dolls" lead singer Nicole Scherzinger fell afoul of Gay Twitter when she gave her approval to a MAGA-type hat, brandished by British actor Russell Brand.
Scherzinger, who is seen as a strong Tony Award contender for her starring role in the musical stage version of "Sunset Blvd.," has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ+ equality. Even so, she responded to "a post by Russell Brand in which he flashes a red hat reading 'Make Jesus First Again,'" Variety reported.
"Posted in the hours ahead of the U.S. presidential election, Brand captioned the post 'God Bless America,'" Variety added.
Scherzinger replied with, "Where do I get this hat?" and illustrated her comment with "a prayer hands emoji and a red heart emoji," Variety noted. Though she subsequently deleted the comment, "fans took offense to Scherzinger's positive sentiment toward iconography associated with Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan and signature red hat campaign wardrobe," Variety relayed, "just a day after the Republican nominee defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential election."
The entertainment news outlet said that Twitter users "have noted the additional controversy of engaging with Brand himself, who was accused of 'rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse' by five women in a joint investigation by the Sunday Times of London and Channel 4 last September."
"A subsequent lawsuit accusing the actor and comedian of another act of sexual assault was filed two months later," Variety added, noting that Brand "has denied such claims."
Variety said that Brand "hasn't acted in major TV shows or films in recent years," but added that he "has garnered a substantial online following posting regular video content, oftentimes focused on Christianity."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
